Infected laryngeal foreign body: A case report

Abstract

Foreign body aspiration is a major cause of accidental death in children. Laryngeal foreign bodies in some cases, especially when it is narrow cause little airway obstruction and may even present like upper airway infection. This can delay the diagnosis and even may be mis-treated as laryngitis. Case Report: A child presented to the department of ENT with throat pain and hoarseness of voice but gave a history of foreign body ingestion 1 week before. Though the child presented with laryngitis like symptoms, considering the foreign body ingestion history, diagnostic work-up was done to rule out foreign body in larynx. On X-ray, a radio-opaque foreign body was seen in the larynx above the glottis. He was taken to the operation theatre and under general anaesthesia, foreign body was seen and was piercing the posterior pharyngeal wall. It was carefully removed and pus was seen leaking from the removal site. After a course of antibiotics, the child was apparently normal then. Conclusion: A Laryngeal foreign body shows a wide variety of presentations depending on its size and shape. Hence, the children with laryngitis like symptoms should be investigated for foreign body aspiration irrespective of the symptoms if a history of foreign body ingestion was given.